Attention is set to focus on the performance of students in maths and science when the Leaving Cert results are published tomorrow.
The Government, industry and teachers will be hoping to see much improved grades in these subjects, where overall standards at ordinary level have slipped in recent years.
Last year more than 4,000 students either failed ordinary level maths or took the foundation-level paper, making them ineligible for many third-level courses. In all, about 12 per cent of students at ordinary level failed maths last year. Failure rates were also high at ordinary level in physics (9 per cent), chemistry (16 per cent) and biology (13 per cent).
However, the Leaving Cert results can also be expected to show a continuing upward surge in the number of students gaining an honour (Grade C or higher) in higher-level papers.
The honours rate in all the main Leaving Cert subjects has increased by more than 20 per cent since 1989, generating fears that the exam may be "dumbing down".
But Minister for Education Mary Hanafin and the teacher unions have moved to counter this view, arguing that students are working "harder and smarter" than ever.
The number of students gaining 300 points or more in the Leaving Cert is up from 41 per cent a decade ago to more than 55 per cent last year.
Careers expert Brian Mooney predicted last night that CAO points for most courses will be "broadly in line" with 2006, which was seen by many as marking the end of the points race.
While the number applying to the CAO had increased this year, it was wrong to assume that this would place upward pressure on points, he said. This is because most of the new applicants were mature students or those with post-Leaving Cert qualifications, who were not in real competition with this year's school leavers, he said. "The fact that 8,500 students were relaxed enough to defer a college place last year underlines how the traditional points race is over.
"Yes, there is a still a race for coveted courses in medicine, veterinary and the like, but the points race where students were scrambling for any place is over. Over 75 per cent of students will get one of their top three CAO choices."
In a fresh development last night, Ms Hanafin said she would press on with plans for Leaving Cert reform, despite new concerns raised by the Teachers' Union of Ireland (TUI).
The union says the Minister's plan to schedule English Paper 1 on a Saturday next May would present huge practical difficulties for schools and upset the revision plans of students. Ms Hanafin rejected this last night.
